Welcome to the New Year and Welcome to Kids Get Crafty! I had a completely different post scheduled for today, but then I remembered that on the 6th January the “3 Kings arrive” to visit the newborn King. I have made a real effort to tell Red Ted all about the nativity and what happened all that time ago. I didn’t want the focus to be just on presents and “Santa”. So we have had the crib up for a while. Baby Jesus made an appearance on the 24th Dec as did the 3 kings: on the other side of the room. They have since been walking a little closer to the crib every day. Red Ted is fascinated. Today’s craft is once again rather simple. Nothing to oooh and aaah about, but we had fun and Red Ted wore his “unusual crown” all day. Crafting should be fun. And fun we had!

Tomorrow (3 Kings Day), we will be making “Three Kings Bread” – this is a tradition common in Mexico (Rosca de Reyes), Spain (Epiphany Beard) and some parts of Germany (Dreikonigskuchen). You are supposed to hide a baby figurine, in the German one a whole set of kings and others just a dried bean or chickpea, if you find the bean/chickpea/ baby you are king for the day or you have “funny bad luck” all day (depending on which country you are in)! The great thing about coming from a multi cultural family, is you can pick and choose your traditions. Tomorrow, I will attempt to make my first ever loaf and I will pick the country’s recipe that seems most fun and easy!! And will find some things to put in the cake for Red Ted and Pip Squeak to find. I can’t wait!

The Book

I had a little Three Kings Book previously here: The Wise Men’s Christmas. It is a simple inexpensive book, but Red Ted loves it. Here is another one:

This book is more about “The Baboushka”, than it is about the three kings. However, the book won the 1961 Caldecott Medal for best illustration and therefore I thought it was worth a mention. It it is indeed a lovely book and the illustrations are different and unique. The story is about how the Three Kings have lost their way and stopped by Baboushka’s house and asked her to help them find their way and to go with them. She can’t come as she has chores to finish first. The next day she hurries after the Three Kings, bearing gifts, but never finding baby Jesus. Instead she leaves gifts with other children and the poor.

The book is based on claims of “Russian Folklore”, but others suggest that the “Russian Baboushka” in this story never existed and that it is indeed originally Italian. Never mind where it came from, it is a lovely book and brings anther dimension to the nativity story, also imparting morals (don’t procrastinate and be generous).

The Craft

I had a bit of a search as to what could be a good “Three King’s” craft – crafting really is a fun way to bring things to life. There were lot so lovely “colouring” pictures to download. But Red Ted isn’t really into colouring yet. So. We decided to dress up as kings! Hooray!

We were inspired by Red Ted’s Three Kings, which, ahem, are a Playmobil set. We look at the different crowns and cloaks and then had a rummage. Reusing some wrapping paper left over from Christmas:

Well. There isn’t much to say, the pictures say it all. Red Ted refused to add the gems, fair enough, his crown! And he only wore the cloak and beard for the photo. The crown however remained firmly on! Hooray!

Base for beard, some paper & ribbon:

(It was Red Ted who insisted on a beard, as one of the 3 kings had a lovely white one!)

(not of course that he would wear it)

The only problem now, is that we need another Two Kings… mmmh. Thank Goodness for Mummies and Daddies.

In Spain is called “roscón de Reyes” too and you can find an “haba” ou and a litle “munequito” 😉 and them you are the king or the queen of the day even now, in the shop you can buy your roscon and come with a corona

Ahh thank you. We just ate our cake. It was fun. The Englishman was the “Silly Billy” (funny bad luck) and Red Ted found the figurine and is King! Though he is more taken by the whole Silly Billy thing… The Englishman is not too impressed with being a Silly Billy.

Janelle, we always used the book The Story of the Three Wise Kings by Tomie dePaola. My children are adults now and the book is out of print (although you can find used copies – I haven’t seen any inexpensive used copies, though). It is a lovely book and shows Jesus as a young child when the wise men arrive (although talks about the star over the “place where the child was born”).

I’m going to have to disagree with you – I AM ooohing and aaahing. I have really wanted to learn more about all of the traditions we haven’t gotten into yet – like 3 Kings’ Day, Twelfth Night, etc. and how they all relate. Thanks for the inspiration for next year!

We have the same Playmobil set of Three Wise Men I am with “others” – I am originally from Russia and never heard of Baboushka until this year when I saw this book. I was mildly entertained, since Russian children get their presents from Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter Snow Maiden. But I digress – great craft and thanks for joining WMCIR!

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